OTTAWA -- Motorists will resume paying for parking at Ottawa's hospitals this week.
The Ottawa Hospital, CHEO and the Montfort Hospital have messages on their websites saying the hospitals will resume charging staff, patients and families for parking as the COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed and clinical services resume.
Hospitals stopped charging for parking in late March as the COVID-19 restrictions were implemented, including the cancellation of many clinical services at hospitals.
A notice on the Ottawa Hospital website says on July 1, "All hospitals in the Champlain region will return to paid parking for all staff, patients and visitors."
"This decision to resume parking fees is part of the region's overall plan to increase clinical services in our community, Over the coming weeks, hospitals will begin to see more patients parking on-site as they come to the hospital for care, as well as some staff as they return to work."
The note on the Ottawa Hospital website adds, "Parking revenues help pay for medical equipment and research.
CHEO says it will resume charging parking fees on July 2.
CHEO started offering free parking for physicians, nurses, essential staff and patients on March 28.
"We have not charged anyone, including families and our staff, for the past three months," said CHEO in a statement on its website.
"This decision to resume parking fees is part of the region's overall plan to gradually and safely increase clinical services in our community."
The statement from CHEO adds, "To be upfront, hospitals rely on parking revenues to pay for new equipment, programs and life-saving research."
The Montfort Hospital stopped charging for parking on March 27. A message on the hospital's website says parking will be free until July 2.
